Court acquits Kuwaiti man in drugs case

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 25: The Criminal Court overturned the verdict issued by a lower court which sentenced in absentia a Kuwaiti citizen to a jail term of three years and six months.

The court instead refrained from pronouncing penalty against the citizen, but imposed a fine of KD 200 and obliged him to sign a pledge of committing to good behavior for a period of one year.

According to the case file, the citizen was charged with possession of hashish and other narcotics for the purpose of consumption, as well as violation of traffic rules and non-submission to orders of securitymen.

The arresting officer explained that he received information about an individual sitting inside a parked vehicle in a yard, and immediately went to the location. As he approached the car, he noticed the citizen was accompanied by another individual.

The citizen drove away as soon as he noticed the police. After a while, he stepped out of the car and ran away on foot but he was chased and arrested shortly after. Just before he was arrested, he threw away some items from his pockets.

The officer checked the items to discover they were a part of a cigarette, piece of plastic usually used as a tool for consuming drugs, and an herbal substance inside a sachet.

The individual accompanying the suspect appeared to be in a disoriented state. When the officer searched him, he found two orange-colored tablets in his pocket. Both the citizen and his companion were arrested and referred with the confiscated items to the Drugs Control General Department for investigations.

Lawyer Abdullah Al-Alanda, who was representing the citizen, said the arrest and search processes were illegal as the two defendants were caught in the act. He denied any relation between his client and the seized items, highlighting some contradictions in the testimony of the officer.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff

This news has been read 10331 times!